hazard

If someone or something is dangerous or potentially dangerous, you can use the word "hazard" as a noun.

• That old building is a fire hazard. It has to be torn down.
• Oscar was judged to be suicidal and a hazard to himself, so he was hospitalized.
• The snowstorm created a hazard for drivers.
• The use of illegal drugs is a hazard that teenagers should avoid.
• After an earthquake, the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan became a hazard.
• A used syringe is a biohazard.

Don’t touch a used syringe.

The adjective form for this word is "hazardous."

• Driving in the snow became hazardous for several drivers, so they pulled off the road.
• Smoking can be hazardous to your health.
• This man works around hazardous and radioactive waste.

hazardous waste

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This page was first published on March 5, 2013. It was updated on January 31, 2017.